- FTSE 100 opens 59 points lower at 10,638
8.15: Total wipeout
Monday's gains have been largely wiped out, with London shares down 59 points amid heightened geopolitical worries (see below).
Preview: Blue-chips called lower
London looks set for a soggy start, with the spread betting firms pencilling in an 18-point fall for the FTSE 100.
Blame oil, which is loitering near recent highs after Saudi Arabia issued, then hastily lifted, danger alerts for six cities including the Red Sea export port of Yanbu.
Things got so twitchy that Costco, the American warehouse giant, has nearly doubled the price of its motor oil and started rationing shoppers to two bottles a week.
China offered little cheer, with factory output beating forecasts but retail sales, investment and house prices all heading the wrong way.
Asia split down the middle, as Japan's Nikkei bounced on SoftBank while South Korea's Kospi sagged.
Traders now brace for Wednesday's Federal Reserve verdict, where a rate rise is very much in play.
